Need a gym buddy? Try MyFitnessPal

Having a gym buddy often boosts your motivation, also, a recently study suggests, that using an app or a "cyber partner" can also go a long way in boosting your motivation to stick to your workout plan. Not everyone has a buddy that they can drag to the gym or have keep an eye on what you eat all the time.

Enter: MyFitnessPal. This app is an easy to use free mobile fitness and nutrition app that tracks your diet and exercise through food and exercise journals. Studies show that by keeping a food diary, you will be more successful in losing and keeping weight off. MyFitnessPal will ask you your weight loss goal, your weight and your activity level (everything is completely confidential). From that simple information the app will calculate the number of calories that you should consume daily. Easily input your workouts and what you eat, MyFitnessPal takes care of the rest.

MyFitnessPal has a robust interface and has just about any food you can think of.

The app has you covered as there is a version for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows devices. As you enter the food, the app will calculate the number of calories you have remaining throughout the day. It's as easy as that! For example, the app suggests I consume 2200 calories per day. After my 300 calorie breakfast, I have 1900 calories remaining. That's very simple but very effective because the app has me thinking about what I can eat the remainder of the day to stay within my remaining 1900 calorie range. You can enter your workout and the calorie counter will change based on what you did during your workout, it's as easy as that! MyFitnessPal has food labels for most foods and will run a report detailing all nutrients consumed including fats, proteins, carbs and even vitamins.

Social media is slowly becoming a staple in the weight loss industry, MyFitnessPal is at the forefront of this new wave of weight loss trends. If you exercise and diet with a friend, you are more likely to succeed. With MyFitnessPal you can actually work with a friend keeping you motivated (don't worry they will never see your actual weight). MyFitnessPal is an excellent app for your weight loss needs based on the in depth nutrition database (has over 1 million foods stored) and the ease of use. This app is completely mobile, you can enter your food choices from your computer and have them instantaneously show up on your mobile device. If you are thinking about starting a fitness and weight loss program or are searching for something new, I suggest the MyFitnessPal app.